UN studies US proposals on Iraq

It was the first time that the US had handed out the text to all the other members of the 15-strong body who have to decide whether they will or will not vote upon it.

The Security Council is now set to resume the talks on Friday morning, but Britain has warned that a vote on the draft might have to wait until next week.

Russia immediately objected to the text released on Wednesday and claimed the backing of France and China, the two other key members of the Security Council.

Its ambassador, Sergei Lavrov, said Russia still objected to automatic threats and what he called an "unimplementable mandate" for the inspectors.

"Unfortunately, so far we have not seen changes in the text which would take into account these concerns," Mr Lavrov said.

BBC correspondents at the UN say the US move to submit the draft on Wednesday may have been an attempt to call the bluff of the Russia and France.

If either country vetoes the resolution, the US may discard the resolution completely and consider taking on Iraq militarily without any UN weapons inspection process - giving France and Russia no input at all.

New delay

America's ambassador to the United Nations, John Negroponte, said talks on Friday would continue "all day if necessary".

However, his British counterpart and co-sponsor of the draft, Jeremy Greenstock, warned that the Security Council wanted to hear from the chief UN arms inspector, Hans Blix, before deciding on the draft.

Mr Blix is in Moscow and not expected to return to New York until Monday.

Britain has been supporting the US position threatening force if inspectors are not allowed to investigate suspicions that weapons of mass destruction are being developed in Iraq.

Mr Negroponte said after Wednesday's preliminary meeting that the draft provided "a very solid basis indeed" for handling the Iraq issue.

Milder wording

The latest draft of the resolution is softer than a previous US text which authorised "all necessary means" to be used against Iraq if the work of the weapons inspectors was blocked.

The current version notes instead:

"The Council has repeatedly warned Iraq that it will face serious consequences as a result of its continued violations of its obligations."

One apparent US concession in the new draft is that it no longer insists on troops from UN member-states accompanying weapons inspectors.

Iraq has accused the US of using the United Nations as a tool, describing the draft resolution as a "declaration of war".

"The United States intends to invade Iraq, with or without a resolution," said Iraqi Culture Minister Hamed Yusef Hammadi.